News

Arts and business news from around the country.

The arts can play a remarkable role in the vibrancy of a community and in the strength of the economy. It’s no surprise, then, that Amazon thinks the same thing.

In their search for a new headquarters that spanned 238 cities, all of the finalists have strong cultural sectors. As noted in Sebastian Smee’s Washington Post article, many future employees will be relocating their families to the chosen city. What better way to entice them than a strong arts and culture scene? Each of the 24 finalists boasts art museums, sculpture centers, or close proximity to metropolitan centers that are abundant in cultural institutions.

Smee breaks it down:

- Toronto: The Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum

- Dallas: The Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center; Fort Worth: Amon Carter Museum of American Art, The Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the Kimball Art Center

- Austin: Blanton Museum of Art

- Nashville: Parthenon and the Frist Center for Visual Arts

- Northern Virginia: all of the museums and institutions in DC

- Montgomery County: likewise, DC

- Newark: Newark Museum, Liberty Science Center, the offerings of NYC

- Columbus: The Wexner Center for the Arts and the Columbus Museum of Art

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Americans for the Arts is pleased to announce the BCA Leadership Award and the *new* BCA pARTnership Award honorees for 2017. The awards are presented annually by the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), a division of Americans for the Arts.

UNIQLO, casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer, and The Museum of Modern Art, the foremost museum of modern art in the world, will receive the new 2017 BCA pARTnership Award which recognizes a company and an arts organization for an exceptional project, program, or initiative that represents a true alliance, collaboration, or exchange between the two.

Raymond J. McGuire, Global Head of Corporate & Investment Banking of Citi, will receive the 2017 BCA Leadership Award, which recognizes an individual for his/her extraordinary vision, leadership, and commitment to supporting the arts and for encouraging other businesses to follow in his/her lead.

It is easy to spot one of Target’s many commercials when they appear on television. They are always filled with various shapes, vivacious colors, and catchy music that is sometimes matched with a short choreographed dance. There is no question that Target understands the importance of the arts to their business and overall expansion as a global superstore. On Target’s website, they categorize working with art organizations as their corporate responsibility, highlighting these collaborations as a necessity for their company. To underscore their commitment, Target sponsors multiple “museum nights” where free admission is offered to the public at some of New York City’s popular museums. They have partnered with the Children's Museum of Manhattan, Brooklyn Museum, and Studio Museum in Harlem to provide complimentary access to these world-renowned exhibition spaces.

Target collaborates with the Children’s Museum to bring Free First Fridays, providing free admission on the first Friday of every month. This program brings art and interactive activities to children, for some, their first encounter with the arts.

Target’s Free First Saturdays is a collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum where on the first Saturday of every month (except September), Target sponsors free admission for the public from 5 to 11 p.m. Each First Saturday is replete with art of different mediums. Events range from video presentations and curator tours of the exhibits, to live music and hands on activities to get patrons more involved with the featured exhibitions.

The Studio Museum in Harlem is unlike the other museums that only have free admission on the first day of every month. It is host to Target’s Free Sundays, and is free each week. At the museum, there are gallery pieces from the likes of Alma Thomas and Richard Hunt, and hands-on activities for kids and adults to create mosaics using glue, paint markers, and cardboard.

Make sure to check out the Children’s Museum on the first Friday, the Brooklyn Museum on the first Saturday of the month, and the Studio Museum in Harlem every Sunday to take advantage of these great opportunities to explore world-class institutions. Usually in New York City, nothing comes free, but with Target’s support of art museums, they are actually inviting the public to close their wallets and open their hearts and minds to the arts.

In the article “Can a Trip to an Art Museum Ignite Creativity in Business?”, author Jon Darsee, Executive Vice President of Health Policy and Payer Relations for iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (a privately held digital healthcare solutions company that works in cardiac arrhythmia information) offers “One way to facilitate out-of-the-box thinking is by viewing art.”

And, we totally agree.

Darsee interviews Jim Leach, the former 15-term Iowa congressman and former chairperson of the National Endowment of the Humanities who is now the interim director of the University of Iowa Museum of Art, who says “A good museum, for instance, displays art that stretches the imagination and expands cross-cultural understanding.”

In our essay “Foster Critical Thinking”, we explore how the arts can harvest success toward business goals. When strengthening innovation, progress, competitive advantages and more, including the arts, perhaps museums, is a great way to improve your company’s position.

“Without innovation, without the ability to continually develop new ideas, a business is lost. Art museums can help develop this aptitude in multiple ways; they open doors to thinking that were not open before. Museums, through the art they present and interpret, are transformative mechanisms. The concept of innovation can transfer to other arenas of activity, including the business world,” says Jeff Fleming, Des Moines Art Center Director, in the article.

Make note: sometimes, to get a big creative spark, you might have to reach FAR outside of your organization, to a museum.

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The average museum-goer likely doesn’t spend much time wondering about the production of each exhibit or, by extension, the meticulous work of the curating team to create the experience. Yet, the staging of an exhibition—specifically the technologies utilized for each display—remains at the forefront of Panasonic, worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies. To showcase their cutting edge visual systems, Panasonic curated a virtual museumconsisting of four “rooms,” each with brief video overviews, and interactive links to more information on each product creating the display, including case studies of past successes.

‘Experiential projection’ showcases large scale, high brightness, high resolution panorama projections using edge blending, laser projection, and ultra-short throw lenses. ‘Informative displays’ aims at optimizing the visitor experience through digital signage, light ID transmission, large scale screens for a video wall, and interactive maps and displays. Through the ‘4k experience,’ 4k broadcast, display, and projectors are used to zoom in and/or provide a rotated view of any given exhibit or piece to recreate the details with incredibly high resolution. Lastly, the ‘control room’ provides a glimpse of how security cameras can both protect and help in summarizing audience demographics.

Through these advanced visual systems, Panasonic hopes to alleviate the increasing financial pressures on the museum and heritage sector to bring culture to life. “Technology can assist… to create immersive and engaging environments to widen access to collections that had previously been never been seen or to provide new commercial opportunities for additional revenue streams,” states European Marketing Director Stephen Yeoin the virtual museum’s introductory segment. With the desires of the visitors, curators, and funders in mind, Panasonic’s forward-thinking has led to the fruition of engaging, immersive, and cost-effective exhibitions—allowing heritage sites increased opportunity as well as expanding their own market and putting their own name in the spotlight.

The new Whitney Museum officially opens to the public this week in New York City’s meatpacking district after being housed uptown for nearly 50 years. Audi has signed on as the official automotive partner for the opening and will collaborate with the Whitney to support a variety of opening events throughout 2015 and 2016. In addition to providing transportation for the opening events, Audi will work with the Whitney to design a special Audi Lounge space at select events that will be reserved exclusively for Whitney members.

According to the official press release, partnering with the Whitney continues the Audi brand’s ongoing tradition of championing and supporting the arts and creating partnerships with likeminded organizations that stand for authenticity and a progressive mindset.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and South Korean motor company Hyundairecently announced The Hyundai Project, a 10 year corporate sponsorship dedicated to advancing art, technology, and Korean culture This partnership marks LACMA’s longest relationship with a corporate sponsor. The Hyundai Project will ensure funding of the Art + Technology Lab through 2020, which provides grants, in-kind support, and facilities at LACMA for artists to experiment with emerging technologies.

The Hyundai Project also supports the Korean Art Scholarship Initiative, a group of three exhibitions slated to open in 2018, 2022, and 2024 focused on Korean calligraphy, contemporary art, and 20th century art. Hyundai’s support will feature multiple publications and opportunities for research in key aspects of Korean art that have never before been explored.

“Hyundai’s partnership with LACMA is significant not only due to the longevity of its commitment, but because of its innovative approach to supporting two critically important fields,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director. “LACMA is already a leader in the field of Korean art. Hyundai’s support allows us to promote scholarship in underrepresented areas of study. Their support of our Art + Technology efforts is also incredibly significant, not only in recognizing pioneering artists like Robert Irwin, Diana Thater, and James Turrell, but also supporting the next generation of artists through the Art + Technology Lab.”

“Art is a creative expression of human values that transcends age, gender, race and culture,” said Hyundai Motor Company Vice Chairman Euisun Chung. “The Hyundai Project at LACMA seeks to support global art communities in the areas of technology and Korean art. I am confident that this collaborative partnership will realize mutual objectives and bolster a deeper understanding of people, culture, and our environment.”

Bank of America, a 2012 BCA 10 honoree, has announced its roster for the 2015 season of Museums on Us, a program that allows debit and credit cardholders of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch free admission to prominent cultural institutions on the first full weekend of every month.

“We believe the arts have the power to connect people and help local economies thrive,” said Rena DeSisto, Bank of America global arts and culture executive. “For 18 seasons, Museums on Us has provided access to unique cultural experiences across the country and brought new visitors to our partner museums.”

The program covers arts and cultural institutions, science centers and botanical gardens in 98 cities and 32 states. Over 150 institutions are participants, including recent additions such as the Brooklyn Historical Society in New York City, the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, and the Morris Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Bank of America’s support of cultural institutions and programs like Museums on Us makes an impact on economies and societies around the country. When you partner with local arts, you partner with the whole city.

Partnering with the American Museum of Natural History offers Etsy Wholesale designers an opportunity to create unique products that challenge their creativity.

“Everyone was just giddy,” says Vanessa Bertozzi, Program Manager for Etsy Wholesale. “It’s the first time that we’ve officially worked with a museum. We wanted to dig into the artistic process, and that’s been the most amazing part of this, to see what these guys come up with when you set them loose on a collection and what inspires them and their interpretation of it. I love the range—there’s something for everyone.”

The company, which recently announced its filing for a $100 million IPO, made nearly $2 billion in sales in 2014. This partnership with the American Museum of Natural History is well-timed, as the museum, established in 1869, is one of the largest and well known museums in the world.

The collaboration is a savvy demonstration of Etsy’s ability to form creative partnerships, enhance their brand, and reach new customers.

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Celebrity Cruises partners with the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) to present Hot Glass Shows at Sea—a live, narrated glassblowing demonstration. The Hot Glass Show, which has been a tremendous success, is now a regular part of the entertainment aboard the Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, and Celebrity Eclipse. Each ship includes a hotshop on the top deck of the ship where the demonstrations take place. A popular activity for guests, the Hot Glass Show at Sea reaches more than 300,000 people each year.

Each cruise employs three full-time glassmakers who are given the opportunity to travel the world on the ship and showcase their artistic skills. Celebrity auctions off works made at the Hot Glass Show at the end of each cruise. The proceeds of those sales are donated to CMoG’s glassmaking school, The Studio, supporting a robust scholarship program enabling students to take glassmaking classes in Corning, New York.

“Our Museum’s mission is to tell the world about glass,” said Karol Wight, Executive Director of the Corning Museum of Glass. “More than 400,000 people come to our Museum campus each year, and we also look for ways to reach even more people globally. By collaborating with Celebrity Cruises and presenting shows on three of their ships to about 300,000 guests each year, we are able to almost double our reach.”

Celebrity consistently aims to integrate the arts into its cruise entertainment. In addition to the Hot Glass Show, the ships hold ballroom dance lessons, hands-on arts classes and lectures, and a self-guided iPad tour of the ships’ extensive on-board art collections. By partnering with the arts, Celebrity Cruises offers unique and memorable experiences for its guests.

More News

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